New solar array at former town of Ulster landfill will help Ulster County cuts its power costs

Ulster County Executive Michael Hein, second from left, stands next to part of the new solar array in the town of Ulster on Tuesday with, from left, Ulster County Department of Environment Coordinator Amanda LaValle; Gerard deLisser, vice president of development for electrical contractor Miller Bros.; and Kevin Schutz, project manager for Miller Bros.
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TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. >> Once the place where garbage collected from around the town of Ulster was dumped, a 29-acre tract of land alongside Frank Sottile Boulevard will soon be home of a vast solar energy array able to provide 20 percent or more of Ulster County government’s electrical needs.

County Executive Michael Hein on Tuesday toured the former landfill site, which is owned by the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency, to get a first-hand look at the construction project.

“This is a great example of how Ulster County has continually led the way on environmental protection and sustainability,” Hein said.

“This is an unused, and unusable in many ways, piece of property because it is a capped landfill,” Hein said. “It will soon be functioning as a wonderful part of a sustainability plan that protects the environment while simultaneously protecting taxpayers.”

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Tesla’s SolarCity is in the midst of constructing a 6,120-panel solar energy array at the former landfill under a long-term contract with the county.

County Department of Environment Coordinator Amanda LaValle said that in return, the county will purchase electricity from SolarCity at a set rate that will be at or below what the county currently pays.

The equipment, which could cover more than 20 percent of the county’s electricity use, could be turned over or sold to the county at the end of the contract.

The 1.9-megawatt array is anticipated to produce nearly 3 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, avoiding the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to burning 2.4 million pounds of coal or more than 5,000 barrels of oil each year.

Hein said construction of the solar array is expected to be completed by year’s end and that it should begin generating electricity for the county by March 2018.

Once it’s functioning, Hein said, the county will have “made the major leap to generating a major portion of our own electricity.”

Once the town of Ulster landfill, the town sold the property to the Resource Recovery Agency in 1993, though included in that agreement was a provision that gave the town buy-back rights after 20 years.

To clear the way for the county’s solar project, the town in 2015 waived its right to exercise that buy-back.

About the Author

Since 1990, Patricia R. Doxsey has been a reporter for the Freeman, covering politics, crime, and government affairs. Reach the author at pdoxsey@freemanonline.com
or follow Patricia R. on Twitter: @pattiatfreeman.